Cinnamon Rolls from Scratch Recipe - Home Chef (2024)

FAQs

Is bread flour or all purpose better for cinnamon rolls? ›

Bread flour has more protein than all-purpose flour, making it a better option for pastries. Most people recommend baking cinnamon rolls with bread flour, as this creates a fluffier and softer cinnamon roll. Though all-purpose flour will also work to create tasty cinnamon rolls.

For the fluffiest cinnamon rolls, make sure you allow your dough to rise for at least 90 minutes for the first rise. For the second rise, a good 30 minutes works. I see a lot of recipes - including a few of mine - say 60 minutes minimum for the first rise.

Don't Overbake Cinnamon Rolls

Overbaked cinnamon rolls are tough and chewy instead of light and pillowy. Since it can be a bit tricky to know when rolls are fully baked, use a digital thermometer. Bake cinnamon rolls until golden brown and the internal temperature reaches between 190°and 200°F.

Is Heavy Cream the Same as Heavy Whipping Cream? Yes, heavy cream and heavy whipping cream are the exact same thing. The confusion lies in the fact that they're sold by different brands under two different names.

Evaporated milk can be used as a substitute in recipes in which heavy cream is used as a liquid ingredient, such as in baked goods, but it doesn't whip well. Substitute the heavy cream in your recipes with an equal amount of evaporated milk.

Cinnabon's Secret Ingredient

This special Indonesian cinnamon, called Makara, is trademarked by Cinnabon. And because of that trademark, you won't find this product in your local grocery store spice aisle.

Julie Clark, the blogger behind the website, notes that after years of research, she discovered that the key to getting perfectly gooey rolls is to “pour heavy cream over the cinnamon buns before baking. THIS is the secret ingredient and what makes the rolls rich and gooey.”

Milk: Milk is a popular choice for cinnamon roll dough as it adds richness and tenderness to the texture. Whole milk, in particular, can provide a creamy and soft crumb. If you prefer a lighter texture, you can use low-fat or non-fat milk.

It can definitely be tempting to just stick that butter in the microwave if you've been storing it in the fridge, which can easily lead to accidentally melting it, but ensuring that your butter is softened will make all the difference: It will make it easier to evenly spread the filling on top of the dough.

The rolls are still prone to over-proofing if left in the fridge too long; and the cinnamon-sugar filling can melt and make the bottoms of the rolls syrupy and damp if left unbaked for too long.

Should cinnamon rolls touch when baking? ›

Place the cinnamon rolls into your prepared pan, with little room between each roll and ½ inch from the edge of the pan. Lightly press down on each roll so that the edges of each roll barely touch each other, and improve their round form if needed.

Over-proofing can also happen if you leave too much space between the cinnamon rolls and they have to spread out a lot, as well as rise up. The rule of thumb with yeast breads: -The original amount/size of the cinnamon roll accounts for approx. 1/3 of the finished size.

Keep the rolls covered tightly with foil so they don't dry out. Some ovens have a “bread proof” setting and this works great!

Adding a little more fat in the form of heavy cream serves two purposes: The heavy cream is a hydrating liquid that will soak into the rolls as they bake and create steam, making them just a little softer and preventing them from drying out.

Heavy cream is thicker and has a higher fat content than milk, which can make the baked goods more rich, moist, and tender but also heavier.

Heavy cream is a good choice when decorating pies or cakes, or for thickening sauces and ganache. Heavy cream is also great for making ice cream and soup. Whipping cream is a bit lighter since it contains less fat than heavy cream, and has about 30 to 36 percent milk fat.

It whips better and holds its shape longer than its whipping cream counterpart, which is why it's used for everything from pastry fillings to pipings. It has a long shelf life in the fridge and can even be frozen and used in a heavy cream recipe later on.